happy friday! this week’s newsletter is all about some comfort foods. for me, macaroni and cheese has always been one of my favorite things and it’s a go-to comfort food. i know a lot of people like the kind of mac ‘n’ cheese that’s baked with crunchy bits on top, but i prefer straight up creamy mac ‘n’ cheese. (wil’s fave is annie’s deluxe) so today i a recipe for my homemade mac ‘n’ cheese. it’s pretty quick and easy, as far as homemade mac goes!
i am also sharing my foolproof method for perfect medium boiled eggs — here’s the secret: they are not boiled, they’re steamed! easiest thing ever. also, steaming them makes them so much easier to peel. good stuff all around.
also, i made OG tollhouse chocolate chip cookies on sunday, and they were just as good as i remember. i used the original recipe (2 sticks of butter!!!) and just swapped in GF flour for all purpose. they were incredible.
homemade macaroni and cheese
(my version is dairy and gluten-free, but just sub in your favorite shredded cheddar and regular cream cheese!)
ingredients:
1 box of your fave noodles (i love this shape or shells)
4 tbsp butter
1.5 tbsp flour (i use King Arthur GF)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk (i used oat)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1.5 tbsp cream cheese (i used kite hill brand)
1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (i use miyokos)
coarse sea salt and cracked pepper
make it:
bring large pot of heavily salted water to boil and add your box of noodles
start to make a simple roux. over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp butter and then whisk in 1.5 tbsp flour.
once that is clump-free, add in the 1/2 c chicken broth and 1/2 c of milk. stir stir stir!! if you feel that your roux is getting too hot, turn your heat down a bit.
the mixture should be thickening and getting creamy.
once the water is boiling, add in the noodles to cook.
season the roux with salt and pepper, and also stir in the garlic and onion powder.
over low heat, stir in the cream cheese and shredded cheddar. let those melt and add a little broth, butter, or milk until you get the sauce as creamy as you prefer!
once the noodles are done, drain them (DO NOT RINSE) and add them to the sauce. stir to combine and enjoy!
easy steamed eggs
my mom found this trick in a magazine and it works so well!
cover the bottom of a pot with an inch or two of water and bring it to a boil.
when the water is boiling, place a steamer basket over the top and put your eggs in it (in one single layer is best).
put a lid on and cook for 9 minutes for a medium yolk, up to 12 for a very hard yolk.
when the timer goes off, quickly put the eggs in an ice bath to stop them from cooking.
once cooled, drain and store in the refrigerator.
the best fall tea
celestial seasonings is one of my favorite tea brands. i love their sleepytime tea (i swear that tea got me through college), and their candy cane lane tea is absolutely amazing!! however, my all time favorite for the fall is their cinnamon apple spice. it’s the perfect combination of sweet, spiced, and flavorful. it just tastes like fall in a cup. i don’t even add honey! i just think it’s perfect as is. it’s an herbal tea, so it is caffeine free and perfect to sip on before bed. i think even non-tea drinkers will love this one! cheers!
music of the week
my song for you this week is one of my favorites that is always on my fall playlists! it’s called “thinking ‘bout love” by wild rivers. it’s such a pretty song and i listened to it on the way home from work the other day with my car windows down and the cool air coming in, and it was so nice. hope you love it too!
…one more thing:
have you watched any of the cozy ambiance videos on youtube? they are these videos with fall foliage scenes, crackling fireplaces, light jazz, etc. layered together… the effect is that you feel like you’re in a cozy cafe with light jazz playing and a crackling fire and it’s lovely. wil and i like to put these kind of videos on on sunday mornings while we make breakfast and drink our tea and coffee. they are so cozy! (especially because we don’t have a real fireplace) i’ll link one below for you!
…and if you’re a harry potter fan…